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Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that the Democrats’ behavior during the State of the Union address this week ‘showed us that we cannot give power back to congressional Democrats’ in the midterm elections this November. 

Vance, speaking during a visit to a machining facility in Plover, Wis., made the remark before ripping Democrats for not standing up Tuesday in support of Dalila Coleman, a young child who survived after an illegal immigrant from India allegedly struck the car she was in on a highway in San Bernardino County, California, in June 2024. 

‘I want to talk about the stakes coming up in November, because it feels like this election in November is very far away. But if anything, the State of the Union should have showed us that we cannot give power back to congressional Democrats,’ Vance said. 

‘Now, I am fundamentally an optimist about this country. I believe most people, most human beings, most American citizens, whether they got a D next to their name or an R next to the name or they have no political affiliation, they’re good people. They love our country. They want our country to thrive and prosper. But I got to tell you, after the State of the Union, I’m not so sure that is true of the congressional Democrats that we saw at the State of the Union address,’ Vance continued.

‘For example, you have this beautiful little girl. She had such a sweet moment with her dad. You may have remembered, she was probably six years old. She had been assaulted by an illegal immigrant. She had had a very bad, I think, medical prognosis. But it turned out that she was okay. This 6-year-old girl, hurt by a human being who never should have been in this country in the first place, who was led into this country by Joe Biden, the Democrats,’ Vance said. 

‘And she’s hugging her dad, and she’s so excited. And you can tell, and I think everybody’s heart feels very, you know, you get that warm and fuzzy feeling. And then I look over at the congressional Democrats, and they’re just scowling. They cannot clap their hands for a 6-year-old who survived an attack from an illegal alien. What is that?’ the vice president added. ‘What kind of a person can’t stand up and cheer for an innocent young girl who’s doing well, who’s showing the entire country strength and resilience?’ 

The person driving the 18-wheeler that allegedly struck Coleman was identified as Partap Singh, who was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and immigration-related charges. 

‘I think when that little girl was standing up hugging and kissing her dad, that those Democrats, there was at least a part of them, the human part and their soul that wanted to stand up and cheer for that little girl. And all of them sat on their hands. And you have to ask yourself, why is that?’ Vance also said.

And the answer is because they know they don’t answer to you, they answer to somebody else. They answer to people who have corrupted this country,’ he concluded. ‘They answer to the people who open the border. They answer the people who got rich off of illegal immigrant labor. We want you guys to get rich off of the labor of American citizens. We want American workers to get rich for working hard, not illegal aliens. And that, to me, is the fundamental difference between congressional leadership and congressional Democrats and the congressional Republicans under the leadership of this president.’ 

Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report. 

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China is expanding a network of space facilities across Latin America that could strengthen Beijing’s military surveillance and war-fighting capabilities in the Western Hemisphere, according to a new report. 

A new report from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party identifies at least 11 PRC-linked ground stations, radio telescopes and satellite ranging sites in Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile and Brazil — installations the panel says may have dual-use military applications.

The report calls on the Trump administration to ‘halt the expansion’ of Chinese space infrastructure in the region and ‘ultimately seek to roll back and eliminate’ PRC space capabilities in the hemisphere that threaten U.S. interests.

According to the findings, the analysis relies on open-source reporting, satellite imagery and Chinese planning documents that elevate space cooperation as a pillar of Beijing’s relations with Latin America. Lawmakers argue China’s military-civil fusion strategy makes it difficult to separate academic or commercial space cooperation from potential military applications.

‘Beijing uses space infrastructure in Latin America to collect adversary intelligence and strengthen the PLA’s future warfighting capabilities,’ the report states.

Lawmakers also raised concerns about oversight at certain sites, noting that in at least one case host-nation inspection rights appear limited. The report emphasizes that ‘host nations retain both the right and responsibility to verify that facilities advertised as civilian are not being used for military or intelligence purposes inconsistent with their national laws.’

One of the most closely watched sites is a Chinese-operated deep space station in Argentina’s Neuquén province, established under a 50-year lease agreement signed in 2015. The facility, which includes a 35-meter antenna used for satellite tracking and deep space missions, has been described by Beijing as a civilian research installation supporting lunar and space exploration programs.

However, the House report notes that the station is operated by an entity linked to China’s satellite launch and tracking network and raises concerns about transparency and oversight. In previous reporting, questions have surfaced about the extent to which Argentine officials have inspection access to the site, fueling debate over sovereignty and foreign control of strategic infrastructure.

The Argentina embassy could not immediately be reached for comment. 

Lawmakers argue that facilities like the one in Neuquén illustrate the broader concern that ostensibly civilian space cooperation can be integrated into China’s military-civil fusion framework, potentially supporting the People’s Liberation Army’s global space architecture.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the specifics of the committee’s findings but said it ‘continuously monitors developments that could affect the security environment, including space-related infrastructure and capabilities.’ 

A Defense Department spokesperson added that the department remains ‘attentive to activities that could impact stability, transparency, or the long-term security interests of the United States and our partners in the Western Hemisphere.’

The Department of War’s 2025 annual report to Congress on China’s military developments similarly notes that Beijing ‘has the largest space infrastructure footprint outside of mainland China in Latin America and the Caribbean,’ and assesses that expanding its regional space presence ‘almost certainly provides China with enhanced space domain surveillance capabilities, including against U.S. military space assets, throughout the hemisphere.’ 

The same report states that China’s growing space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities have ‘dramatically increased its ability to monitor, track, and target U.S. and allied forces both terrestrially and on orbit.’ 

The House panel also points to Chile, where a proposed expansion of a Chinese space-related project was put on hold following engagement from the Trump administration, according to sources familiar with the project. Lawmakers view the pause as evidence that diplomatic pressure can influence host governments weighing cooperation with Beijing.

The report further urges federal agencies to review existing cooperation agreements in the region. Lawmakers recommend that NASA examine any partnerships with countries hosting Chinese-operated space facilities to ensure compliance with the Wolf Amendment, a federal law that restricts bilateral space cooperation with China and Chinese-owned entities.

The panel argues that even multilateral arrangements could warrant scrutiny if they indirectly benefit PRC-linked infrastructure and calls on Congress to clarify that such agreements should not be structured in a way that circumvents existing prohibitions.

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  • The U.S. State Department had issued a shelter-in-place advisory for U.S. citizens in Mexico following the violence.
  • Miami, a co-host city, is seeing a 200 percent increase in hotel bookings for the World Cup period.

MIAMI — The wave of violence that rocked Mexico and led the U.S. State Department to advise U.S. citizens to shelter in place has caught the attention of FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the buildup to the 2026 World Cup, although Infantino said he remains confident matches hosted in Mexico this summer will be a celebration of the sport.

Following the killing of drug-cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera by Mexican security forces, violence broke out in multiple cities including Guadalajara, leading to flight cancellations, roadblocks and the shelter in place order. With the disturbances appearing to wane, normalcy is beginning to return, but only after dozens were reported dead.

Infantino, speaking at an event Feb. 25 to celebrate the opening of a FIFA museum at Miami’s Freedom Tower, said FIFA has been in constant contact with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

“We monitor the situation, we look at the situation, and things happen in the world,” Infantino said. “We don’t live on the moon; we live in the world. And when things happen, we have to trust the situation, authorities, the state, the police. We have to trust them with all our confidence and support Mexico, support a country that has suffered, that deserves the World Cup to be a party. And it will be a party.”

Mexico is co-hosting the World Cup with the United States and Canada. Mexico City’s historic Estadio Azteca is scheduled to stage the tournament’s opening match, Mexico vs. South Africa, on June 11.

But Infantino has more pressing concerns before that. Guadalajara, which also will host World Cup matches, is scheduled to host two matches March 26 to help to determine the survivor of a six-team playoff.

“Nobody has to move anything,” Infantino said.

Multiple league matches over the past several days, however, have been postponed.

Infantino spoke on a panel that included Miami Host City Co-Chair Rodney Barreto, Inter Miami owner Jorge Más and Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega.

World Cup in Miami updates

Here are some key takeaways from the gathering:

  • Barreto said the early returns he’s receiving from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau show a 200 percent increase in hotel bookings during the World Cup. After the recent killings of Reneé Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by ICE officers, there were calls for a boycott of World Cup matches in the United States.
  • Seven World Cup matches will be staged at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, including a quarterfinal and the consolation match. All eyes are on the June 27 match featuring Colombia vs. Portugal. FIFA officials said that match drew more than 30 million ticket requests — the most of any match in the 48-team tournament, including even the Cup final. The least-expensive tickets for Colombia-Portugal start at more than $2,200 on the secondary market.
  • England’s national team, ranked fourth by FIFA, is close to finalizing plans for two World Cup tune-up matches at Inter Miami’s soon-to-open Freedom Park near Miami International Airport.
  • Barreto said the Fan Fest scheduled for Bayfront Park in downtown Miami will go on as planned. Ray Martinez, COO of the Miami Host Committee, told The New York Times this week that the festival could be scrapped unless the committee receives funding from the federal government. Last week, New York scrapped a festival that had been planned for Liberty State Park.
  • Barreto said plans will be announced to handle traffic, public transportation and security. The transportation plan will include Brightline, Tri-Rail and ride-sharing, he said.
  • The FIFA museum, a first in the United States celebrating the history of the sport, is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entry is $18 per person, with discounts available to students. It’s a permanent exhibit at the Freedom Tower, 600 Biscayne Blvd.

Regarding the Fan Fest, Barreto said, “Our Fan Fest is happening. We’re committed to it. It’s all being staged. We have an agreement with the City of Miami, with Bayfront Park.”

Barreto, longtime head of South Florida’s Super Bowl Host Committees, added, “We’ve done this with numerous Super Bowls.”

Martinez had expressed reservations because unlike Super Bowl festivals, which last about a week, the FIFA event is planned to stretch over 23 days.

Barreto said, “We’re hitting all our marks internally with respect to fundraising and cooperation between city, county, state government and federal government, so we feel good. Thank God I’m not the chairman of the Guadalajara Host Committee. But Miami is ready.” 

Más expressed confidence that Miami Freedom Park will be ready for its debut April 4. Más said Lionel Messi, who led Inter Miami to the MLS Cup last season, is focused on assuring Argentina retains the World Cup.

Más couldn’t help but reflect on how far his group and the region have come since Major League Soccer granted him a franchise seven years ago.

“We were sitting in a conference room in our office with a blank board and sort of saying, ‘Oh, what do we do next?’ to today, having a club that’s considered really a giant in global football. Our visibility is global. We’re the best-selling jersey on the planet (Messi’s No. 10). We have the world’s best player here. We’re the MLS Cup champions. We have the World Cup in our city. We live in the best city in the world.

“I mean, things can’t get better. It’s a pinch-me moment.”

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The most anticipated measurement of the 2026 NFL combine – Rueben Bain Jr.’s arm length – has been revealed.

Bain measured in with 30 ⅞-inch arms ahead of the combine’s defensive line workouts on Feb. 26. That puts the Miami (FL) product in the first percentile – where a lower percentile placement correlates with smaller/shorter arms – among edge rushers and defensive linemen since at least 2010, according to MockDraftable’s database of NFL combine measurements.

Bain’s wingspan of 77 ½ inches was marginally better; it ranks in the 10th percentile among edge rushers and 13th among defensive linemen since 2010, per MockDraftable.

Nonetheless, Bain’s measurables in these areas peg him as an outlier. That will make him an intriguing evaluation for teams considering him with a top-10 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.

To his credit, Bain didn’t seem worried about his arm length when asked about it ahead of his combine workouts.

‘People keep bringing that up out of nowhere, but no teams brought it up to me, so I don’t bring it up either,’ Bain told reporters, per ESPN. ‘As long as I just talk the talk and walk the walk, play with technique, nobody actually cares about it.’

Bain accomplished that goal in his final season with the Hurricanes. He generated a career-best 9.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss while helping lead Miami to an appearance in the national championship game.

That’s why the 21-year-old is confident he will be able to succeed at the NFL level despite his atypical frame.

‘I’m versatile and I got a hot motor,’ he said. ‘I could do it at any position, at any time with the best effort, and it’s on film, it’s not something I’m just seeing.’

Bain wasn’t the only potential first-round edge rusher to measure in with bottom-tier arm length at the combine. Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell checked in with 30 ¼-inch arms ahead of his workout.

That will leave both prospects hoping teams will be willing to look past their physical shortcomings, much like the New England Patriots did when they selected LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell No. 4 overall in 2025 despite similar arm length concerns.

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WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark is adding to her resume with a Milan Fashion Week appearance.

On Thursday, the 24-year-old, who has never been shy about wearing high-end clothing, attended Prada’s Fall 2026 fashion show in Milan. Clark has a long-standing relationship with Prada and wore the brand during the 2024 WNBA Draft orange carpet before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever.

‘It’s the first time Prada’s ever dressed a male or female for [the] WNBA or NBA draft, so pretty cool,’ Clark said then of her white Prada two-piece set.

During her appearance at Milan Fashion Week, she sat front row with Olympic skier Eileen Gu, as the pair took in the sights. True to form, Clark was wearing a Prada belt with her pants and a cropped polo. She finished the look with an oversized coat, brown heels and a small bag.

Gu, who won three medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, including gold in the women’s free ski halfpipe, later shared a selfie of herself and Clark on Instagram of the athletes spending time together.

‘Hi @caitlinclark22,’ Gu posted with an emoji of two women dancing side by side.

Clark reshared the photo to her Instagram story and posted three white hearts in response.

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vowed to veto any legislation targeting the LGBTQ community just one night after President Donald Trump talked about banning minors’ gender transition surgeries without parental consent.

‘I want you to know that you are welcome in Michigan,’ Whitmer said in her State of the State Address on Wednesday night. ‘You belong, you matter, and no matter who comes after you, I’ll stand in the way.’

The Democrat leader added: ‘In Michigan, we look out for each other. That’s why I’ll always fight for your freedom and safety. And I’ll veto any legislation that diminishes your humanity. I got your back.’

Trump vowed to ban sex changes for minors without parental consent in his State of the Union, while Whitmer’s remarks spoke right past parents’ rights – flash points in both the 2022 midterms and 2024 presidential election cycle – with a presumptive vow to veto any sex change bans.

‘Surely we can all agree, no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents’ will,’ Trump said in his State of the Union on Tuesday night. ‘Who would believe that we’re even talking about it? We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately.’

Trump’s effort to ban gender transitions for minors without parental consent puts the political onus on the parents’ rights to decide their children’s fate. Any Whitmer vow to veto legislation of such a ban would pit the state’s rights against the parent.

Trump moves to ban sex changes for children:

Whitmer is term-limited, opening up the key battleground state of Michigan as the top of the 2026 midterm election cycle, potentially setting her up to get an early start on a 2028 Democratic presidential primary campaign.

‘Gretchen Whitmer’s vow to veto protections for children facing irreversible sex-change procedures is beyond extreme — it’s outright deranged,’ Republican National Committee national press secretary Kiersten Pels told Fox News in a statement. ‘While President Trump and Republicans are fighting to protect minors, including the young girl he recognized at the State of the Union who was saved from mutilation surgery, Whitmer is siding with radical activists pushing permanent medical procedures on children. Democrats would rather defend the sterilization and castration of minors than stand with parents and basic common sense, and Republicans will continue fighting to stop this dangerous agenda.’

Trump praises Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during Oval Office remarks

Fox News reached out to Whitmer’s office for a response, but they did not immediately answer.

With Whitmer termed out, the 2026 Michigan gubernatorial race is shaping up to be a defining test for both parties.

Democrats face the challenge of defending one of five governorships in states carried by Trump in 2024. The primary battle lines are already drawn, with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson currently leading the Democrat charge and Rep. John James, R-Mich., fronting the Republican ticket.

While the last two cycles saw decisive Democrat victories, the 2026 gubernatorial contest introduces a new variable: former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. Running as an independent, his presence on the ballot could fracture traditional voting blocs and turn a once-predictable race into a three-way toss-up.

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President Donald Trump’s administration is pushing for the U.S. Supreme Court to allow it to nix temporary protected status for Syrians.

‘This application marks the third time that the government has been compelled to seek a stay from this Court after lower Courts have baselessly blocked the Secretary of Homeland Security’s determinations regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) just before they took effect,’ the filing declares.

The document notes that the high court previously issued stays amid legal wranglings pertaining to the administration’s move to terminate TPS for Venezuela.

‘Both times, this Court’s orders reflected that the government is likely to succeed on the merits of its purely legal arguments—including that 8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)(5)(A) expressly bars judicial review of direct or indirect challenges to the Secretary’s TPS determinations,’ the filing asserted. ‘And both times, the Court’s orders reflected that the government established irreparable harm and that the balance of the equities weighed in its favor.’

‘The lower courts’ arrogation of core Executive Branch prerogatives irreparably harms the government, and respondents’ alleged harms were inherent in the temporary nature of the program that Congress designed,’ the administration argued.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem moved to terminate TPS for Syria last year.

The notice declared that the termination of TPS for Syria was supposed to take effect ‘at 11:59 p.m., local time, on November 21, 2025.’ 

But the move has been stymied by the courts.

‘As in the two prior TPS applications, this Court should again stay a materially similar order with materially similar flaws. Moreover, given the lower courts’ persistent disregard for this Court’s stay orders, this Court should also grant certiorari before judgment,’ the filing on the administration’s push to terminate TPS for Syria declares.

The filing warned that, ‘Otherwise, lower courts will … continue to impede the termination of temporary protection that the Secretary has deemed contrary to the national interest, tying those decisions up in protracted litigation with no end in sight.’

This is a breaking news article and will be updated.

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is accusing the GOP-led House Oversight Committee of using her to ‘distract’ from President Donald Trump during her high-stakes testimony in Congress’ Jeffrey Epstein probe.

‘A committee endeavoring to stop human trafficking would seek to understand what specific steps are needed to fix a system that allowed Epstein to get away with his crimes in 2008,’ she is telling the panel, according to her opening remarks.

‘But that’s not happening. Instead, you have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers.’

Clinton is telling lawmakers, ‘As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities.’

‘I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that,’ her remarks state.

‘Like every decent person, I have been horrified by what we have learned about their crimes. It’s unfathomable that Mr. Epstein initially got a slap on the wrist in 2008, which allowed him to continue his predatory practices for another decade.’

The House Oversight Committee’s deposition is officially kicking off on Thursday morning after months of back-and-forth.

‘No one’s accusing, at this moment, the Clintons of any wrongdoing. They’re going to have due process,’ Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters shortly before it began. ‘But we have a lot of questions, and the purpose of the whole investigation is to try to understand many things about Epstein.’

Hillary Clinton’s deposition comes a day before her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will testify before the panel as well.

Today will be a long deposition, I would assume, and tomorrow will be an even longer deposition,’ Comer said.

Both Democrats and Republicans on the committee, as well as the panel’s staff, traveled to the Clintons’ hometown of Chappaqua, New York for the two-day affair.

It’s part of an agreement struck between the GOP-led panel and the former first couple’s lawyers in order for them to appear in person.

Lawmakers on either side will have the opportunity to question Hillary Clinton in addition to their staffs. 

Fox News Digital was told that Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., will be the first lawmaker to question the former first lady and Obama administration official.

Mace was one of four House Republicans who successfully forced a vote late last year on getting the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release files on Epstein, despite pressure from GOP leaders.

The South Carolina Republican, who is running for governor of the Palmetto State, told reporters on Thursday that she would also be questioning Hillary Clinton on Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, among other names that have been mentioned in relation to Epstein.

Comer told reporters she would also be questioned on her ties to Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, pointing out that Maxwell was present at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding in 2010, after the first allegations against Epstein surfaced.

He also suggested that Epstein and Maxwell’s ties to the nonprofit Clinton Foundation would also see scrutiny.

‘Again, we’re not accusing Hillary Clinton of wrongdoing. We know that Jeffrey Epstein said many times in emails that he was the first person to raise money for the Clinton initiative, the Clinton Foundation, that he solicited money at some of his properties for the Clinton Foundation,’ Comer said. 

‘Again, that’s not saying anything illegal, but there are a lot of questions pertaining to Secretary Clinton with respect to Epstein and his involvement in the Clinton initiative and her relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell.’

But Clinton’s prepared remarks show her accusing Republicans of going on a ‘fishing expedition’ to find information that is not there.

‘If this committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press giggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement. It would ask him directly, under oath, about the tens of thousands of times who showed up in the Epstein files. If the majority was serious, it would not waste time on fishing expeditions. There is too much that needs to be done,’ her remarks said.

Neither of the Clintons has been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein, nor has Trump. But both the current and former president’s names appear in the Epstein files numerous times, alongside other well-known figures like Bill Gates and Leslie Wexner.

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There is no doubt that New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will be depended on if the Bronx Bombers want to win their first World Series since 2019.

Stanton has been plagued by injuries in recent years, and his elbow issues limited him to just 77 games last season.

The now 36-year-old Stanton still hit .273 with 24 home runs and 66 RBI when he did play but, even after an offseason of rest, was asked during spring training this week if his elbows would heal.

“That’ll never be the case,” Stanton said (via NJ.com). “Not while I’m in this line of work. “You have your good days and bad days, just like your mood and everything.”

The five-time All-Star then made a stunning admission on how useful his elbows are.

“I can’t open a bottle,” he said. “I can’t open a bag of chips … a bag of anything. That’s the way it is.”

Stanton said he wants to play a full season, though he hasn’t played 140 games or more in a campaign since 2021. He will mostly be a designated hitter in 2026, but plans to get some outfield reps as his health allows.

“That’s not going to be fixed in surgery, and I don’t care what any doctor says because they don’t know what’s going on,” Stanton said. “What’s written (about my elbows) is what me and the Yankees give you.”

Stanton is the active MLB home run leader, with 453. He has two more seasons on a 13-year, $325 million contract he signed as a member of the Miami Marlins in 2014, before a 2028 club option — which contains a $10 million buyout — has to be decided.

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Perhaps he’s simply trying to further ingratiate himself to Chicago Cubs fans, or draw the attention of boo birds when he heads back home.

But Pete Crow-Armstrong – an L.A. dude to his core, the son of actors and the product of one of SoCal’s preeminent baseball factories – went well out of his way to bash Los Angeles Dodgers fans this week.

Crow-Armstrong, an All-Star center fielder at 23 last season, initially defiled fans of the two-time defending World Series champions in the proverbial ‘wide-ranging interview’ with Chicago magazine, saying that Cubs fans ‘give a (expletive). They aren’t just baseball fans who go to the game like Dodgers fans to take pictures and whatever. They’re paying attention. They care.’

Given a window to blunt the edges of those remarks Wednesday, Feb. 25, Crow-Armstrong instead doubled down in an appearance on Foul Territory, apparently referencing the tragic beating of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow and mildly castigating the vibes of a place that drew an MLB-high 4 million fans last season, though perhaps too many that aren’t PCA’s type.

‘I grew up going to Dodgers games when they weren’t always good,’ he told the popular vodcast. ‘When they had Mannywood pop up. But it’s like they go in phases. I remember … putting the Giants fan in the coma. That stuck with me as a kid. Just little things. Sitting in the stands, just nasty stuff goes on. I didn’t always experience that at other ballparks.’

The Mannywood-Stow era of 2008-2010 would certainly dovetail with Crow-Armstrong’s boyish fandom era – he was roughly 6 to 9 years old then. Though perhaps the ‘go in phases’ bit was lost on him – the Dodgers franchise was shortly thereafter plundered by former owner Frank McCourt, who was forced to sell the team by Major League Baseball amid a messy divorce.

Yeah, the fans didn’t like that. And perhaps the finer points of sports business were lost on a young PCA, as the Dodgers returned to the limelight only after a sale to Guggenheim investments; the team essentially hasn’t missed the playoffs since while re-setting the game’s upper salary structure.

A structure Crow-Armstrong will eventually benefit from once he, too, is a free agent. So perhaps the bad memories of traffic jams on the way from Harvard-Westlake School – where tuition now retails for $55,000 – to Chavez Ravine stuck with him. (Was it the 134, the 101 or Sunset that was the culprit?) Maybe the music’s too loud.

Or perhaps he wants to generate a faux rivalry between the Cubs and Dodgers. Either way, the Dodger lifestyle PCA seems to deride might look a little better come 2030 – when he’s eligible for free agency.

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